Recently as I reread through David’s life and writings, I came across Psalm 20:9.
Save, O Lord; may the King answer us in the day we call.
The thing that stood out to me here was the fact that David himself was king. From a national perspective, the buck stopped with him. If the nation needed it, he was the answer. If he was in trouble, so was the nation. It was such a big deal that once when David grew weary in battle to the point that he almost lost his life to a Philistine, his men looked at him and said, “You shall not go out again with us to battle, so that you do not extinguish the lamp of Israel." (See 2 Sam 21:15-17.) David’s very life was a big deal. He was the man of the nation, and everything came down to him.
And yet, he cried out to the King.
David knew better than anyone else that he was not the true lamp of Israel. He even knew he was not the true king. He knew that he could not do it on his own and that he needed to rely on someone greater. The true King. The true Lamp of Israel. God Himself.
Sometimes we need to be reminded that no matter how great we are in our little world, the buck never truly stops with us. We never have the ultimate answer, the ultimate power, or the ultimate authority. We are never at the top of the totem pole.
Sometimes that’s a reality check for us. It brings us down a notch or two and reminds us Who is truly in control.
Other times it is a comfort. Just knowing that there is Someone to fall on, Someone who has our back, and Someone who has all the answers is an amazingly wonderful concept.
Either way, it is the truth. And when, like David, we choose to live in that truth, submitting in all things to God’s guidance and authority, we can be confident that He will answer when we call.
Not Quite Ordinary 